From Tuesday, April 22 to Wednesday, May 7, 2014, Maryland Institute College of Art’s (MICA) Exhibition Development Seminar (EDS) presented Workin’ the Tease: The Art of Baltimore Burlesque, an exhibition celebrating burlesque as an art form combining slapstick humor, dance, and strip-tease body spectacle. The show examined burlesque’s rich history in Baltimore through a night of live performance on the Patricia and Arthur Modell Lyric Opera House stage and an exhibit of more than 70 historical and contemporary artifacts across two floors of the building.
Visitors discovered burlesque’s evolution over the decades—from the early twentieth century, when the section of East Baltimore Street known as “The Block” was home to a thriving burlesque club scene, to recent decades in which a vibrant underground culture has formed. Performers including Paco Fish, Short Staxx and Tapitha Kix provided some of the exhibited artifacts, including costumes, pasties, and accessories; other elements include historical objects from private collections and newly commissioned posters from Globe Letterpress, now part of MICA’s collection. Workin’ the Tease also featured new work from photographer Sean Scheidt, who photographed the performers in the exhibition and the "Best of Baltimore" opening night event.
Visitors discovered burlesque’s evolution over the decades—from the early twentieth century, when the section of East Baltimore Street known as “The Block” was home to a thriving burlesque club scene, to recent decades in which a vibrant underground culture has formed. Performers including Paco Fish, Short Staxx and Tapitha Kix provided some of the exhibited artifacts, including costumes, pasties, and accessories; other elements include historical objects from private collections and newly commissioned posters from Globe Letterpress, now part of MICA’s collection. Workin’ the Tease also featured new work from photographer Sean Scheidt, who photographed the performers in the exhibition and the "Best of Baltimore" opening night event.
Baltimore Burlesque encompasses the unconventional facets of its hometown, and captivates audiences with its passionate artists, elaborate costumes, and outlandish humor. Its history goes back to the Golden Age of the 1930s, when an area of East Baltimore Street called The Block hosted iconic performers like Blaze Starr and April Daye. The Block’s nightlife contributed to an exuberant Baltimore aesthetic that was later reflected in the DayGlo Burlesque posters printed by the Globe Letterpress Printing Company. Since 2002, Baltimore Burlesque has reemerged and evolved with its diverse range of genres and artists, all influenced by the city’s vivid history. Workin’ the Tease: The Art of Baltimore Burlesque celebrates the past glory and present-day rebirth of this vibrant performance art. With this project, the students in Exhibition Development Seminar (EDS) connect the historical roots of Baltimore Burlesque with its contemporary practices, demonstrating that Burlesque is a vital and accessible part of Baltimore culture.
American Burlesque emerged in the late nineteenth century and gradually developed into a mixture of satire, vaudeville, and female striptease. It thrived as a mainstream entertainment through the early 20th century, but began to fade after crackdowns in New York in the 1940s. By the 1960s, Baltimore’s Block became a red light district composed primarily of strip clubs. Fortunately, neo-Burlesque exploded in the 1990s, inspired by the parody, strip, and gimmick of traditional Burlesque, but with performers of all sizes and genders.
Workin’ the Tease examines the history of Burlesque through the lens of contemporary Baltimore performers. The project consists of a three-week exhibition at the Patricia and Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric Opera House, and a “Best of Baltimore” night of Burlesque performances on the Lyric’s main stage. The exhibition includes over 85 costumes, posters, photographs, and printed objects that are connected to the “Best of Baltimore” performers. It also features memorabilia from collector Janelle Smith and the Burlesque Hall of Fame, Globe Letterpress Collection posters designed specifically for Workin’ the Tease, and diptychs of the show’s performers by photographer Sean Scheidt.
Hosted by Trixie Little, “Best of Baltimore” features local performers who represent a wide range of neo-Burlesque genres. Trixie Little and her partner the Evil Hate Monkey began performing their acrobatic, comedic striptease shows in 2002, and are now one of Baltimore’s most famous neo-Burlesque duos. Trixie’s Burlesque Bootcamp has also trained countless aspiring performers, including Maria Bella, Gigi Holliday, Kay Sera, Shortstaxx, and Paco Fish.
The Opening Night’s acts reveal much about the past and present of Baltimore Burlesque. Valeria Voxx’s signature performance, Baltimore Glasswalk, alludes to the 1920s vaudeville that often accompanied traditional Burlesque acts. Displayed next to her sideshow costumes and photographs are props from her father, a flamethrower at the 2 O’Clock Club on The Block under Baltimore performer and club owner Blaze Starr.
Paco Fish’s boylesque performances satirize classic gender roles through his mannered yet seductive striptease. In early Burlesque, women were empowered by playing men’s roles. Paco flips the script, displaying himself in a manner associated with female bodies. Accompanying his performance is the costume from his “Faust” act, exhibited in three stages. The act parodies a familiar German legend in which the main character sells his soul to the devil. Paco transforms from a homeless man, to a sparkling, tuxedoed dandy, to a scantily-clad demon. The connection between satire, strip, and story is a canon in Burlesque.
Sean Scheidt’s photos and Blaze Starr’s artifacts both comment on the relationship between a performer’s inner life and onstage persona. In the 1940s, Fannie Belle Flemming’s onstage Blaze Starr persona launched her into unprecedented fame. But the taboos associated with neo-Burlesque lead some performers to separate their lives on and off the stage. In his Burlesque series, Scheidt challenges this dichotomy. As Scheidt explains: “Part of what I’m learning is that quite a few performers use the stage to express a part of them that is always present…it always seems that the persona is deeply ingrained.” Both his series and Starr’s artifacts reveal the inextricable link between Burlesque performers and their characters.
The exhibition also features a series of letterpress prints that reflect the style of Globe’s original posters from Burlesque’s heyday. In 1929, Globe began printing attention-grabbing advertisements for Burlesque and vaudeville shows. Globe’s bold graphic style conveyed the energy of the entertainment industry in Baltimore for many decades. These contemporary posters promote neo-Burlesque performers using the same techniques that were used to advertise their forebears.
Workin’ the Tease brings Burlesque back to the theater, on a scale appropriate to paying homage to its rich history in Baltimore. The Lyric Opera House opened in Baltimore in 1894 as a musical institution, but assumed a new identity after 1990 as the city’s primary home of Broadway and Opera. The venue, like Burlesque, tells a story of past glory and present rebirth. Ultimately, Workin’ the Tease explores uncharted territory in the Baltimore art scene, encouraging local audiences to partake in the extraordinary art form that is Baltimore Burlesque.
American Burlesque emerged in the late nineteenth century and gradually developed into a mixture of satire, vaudeville, and female striptease. It thrived as a mainstream entertainment through the early 20th century, but began to fade after crackdowns in New York in the 1940s. By the 1960s, Baltimore’s Block became a red light district composed primarily of strip clubs. Fortunately, neo-Burlesque exploded in the 1990s, inspired by the parody, strip, and gimmick of traditional Burlesque, but with performers of all sizes and genders.
Workin’ the Tease examines the history of Burlesque through the lens of contemporary Baltimore performers. The project consists of a three-week exhibition at the Patricia and Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric Opera House, and a “Best of Baltimore” night of Burlesque performances on the Lyric’s main stage. The exhibition includes over 85 costumes, posters, photographs, and printed objects that are connected to the “Best of Baltimore” performers. It also features memorabilia from collector Janelle Smith and the Burlesque Hall of Fame, Globe Letterpress Collection posters designed specifically for Workin’ the Tease, and diptychs of the show’s performers by photographer Sean Scheidt.
Hosted by Trixie Little, “Best of Baltimore” features local performers who represent a wide range of neo-Burlesque genres. Trixie Little and her partner the Evil Hate Monkey began performing their acrobatic, comedic striptease shows in 2002, and are now one of Baltimore’s most famous neo-Burlesque duos. Trixie’s Burlesque Bootcamp has also trained countless aspiring performers, including Maria Bella, Gigi Holliday, Kay Sera, Shortstaxx, and Paco Fish.
The Opening Night’s acts reveal much about the past and present of Baltimore Burlesque. Valeria Voxx’s signature performance, Baltimore Glasswalk, alludes to the 1920s vaudeville that often accompanied traditional Burlesque acts. Displayed next to her sideshow costumes and photographs are props from her father, a flamethrower at the 2 O’Clock Club on The Block under Baltimore performer and club owner Blaze Starr.
Paco Fish’s boylesque performances satirize classic gender roles through his mannered yet seductive striptease. In early Burlesque, women were empowered by playing men’s roles. Paco flips the script, displaying himself in a manner associated with female bodies. Accompanying his performance is the costume from his “Faust” act, exhibited in three stages. The act parodies a familiar German legend in which the main character sells his soul to the devil. Paco transforms from a homeless man, to a sparkling, tuxedoed dandy, to a scantily-clad demon. The connection between satire, strip, and story is a canon in Burlesque.
Sean Scheidt’s photos and Blaze Starr’s artifacts both comment on the relationship between a performer’s inner life and onstage persona. In the 1940s, Fannie Belle Flemming’s onstage Blaze Starr persona launched her into unprecedented fame. But the taboos associated with neo-Burlesque lead some performers to separate their lives on and off the stage. In his Burlesque series, Scheidt challenges this dichotomy. As Scheidt explains: “Part of what I’m learning is that quite a few performers use the stage to express a part of them that is always present…it always seems that the persona is deeply ingrained.” Both his series and Starr’s artifacts reveal the inextricable link between Burlesque performers and their characters.
The exhibition also features a series of letterpress prints that reflect the style of Globe’s original posters from Burlesque’s heyday. In 1929, Globe began printing attention-grabbing advertisements for Burlesque and vaudeville shows. Globe’s bold graphic style conveyed the energy of the entertainment industry in Baltimore for many decades. These contemporary posters promote neo-Burlesque performers using the same techniques that were used to advertise their forebears.
Workin’ the Tease brings Burlesque back to the theater, on a scale appropriate to paying homage to its rich history in Baltimore. The Lyric Opera House opened in Baltimore in 1894 as a musical institution, but assumed a new identity after 1990 as the city’s primary home of Broadway and Opera. The venue, like Burlesque, tells a story of past glory and present rebirth. Ultimately, Workin’ the Tease explores uncharted territory in the Baltimore art scene, encouraging local audiences to partake in the extraordinary art form that is Baltimore Burlesque.
EDS partnered with Globe Letterpress to design and print a set of commemorative posters for the night of performance at the Lyric Opera House. In the 1930s, Globe regularly printed advertisements for Burlesque shows; this new set of prints uses Globe’s vintage aesthetic to celebrate the performers featured in Workin’ the Tease —thereby connecting burlesque’s Golden Age and the contemporary Baltimore scene.
EDS student Gray Lamb and Globe Collection Manager Allison Fisher worked together to bring the visual identity of Workin’ the Tease and the classic Globe aesthetic together. Lamb and Fisher created lockups—arrangements of wood type, graphic elements, and photo blocks—to create the layout for each poster. Traditional wood and magnesium photo blocks of the performers created specifically for the project will become part of Globe’s permanent collection when the exhibition is complete. The lockups were ultimately printed in traditional black over a rainbow-roll background gradient.
This set of posters for Workin’ the Tease are the largest color run done on press by Globe since the collection was acquired by MICA in 2011. The run was printed with the help of Globe interns Michael Auer, Chelsea Beck, Montana Bowman, Hana Castanedo, Alayna Citrin, Kendall Hurd, Bomin Jeon, Christal Sih, Julia Scroggin, Lauren Sessa, Richelle Vargas, and Clayton Zheng—as well as intern coordinator Jon Marchione and members of the EDS class.
EDS student Gray Lamb and Globe Collection Manager Allison Fisher worked together to bring the visual identity of Workin’ the Tease and the classic Globe aesthetic together. Lamb and Fisher created lockups—arrangements of wood type, graphic elements, and photo blocks—to create the layout for each poster. Traditional wood and magnesium photo blocks of the performers created specifically for the project will become part of Globe’s permanent collection when the exhibition is complete. The lockups were ultimately printed in traditional black over a rainbow-roll background gradient.
This set of posters for Workin’ the Tease are the largest color run done on press by Globe since the collection was acquired by MICA in 2011. The run was printed with the help of Globe interns Michael Auer, Chelsea Beck, Montana Bowman, Hana Castanedo, Alayna Citrin, Kendall Hurd, Bomin Jeon, Christal Sih, Julia Scroggin, Lauren Sessa, Richelle Vargas, and Clayton Zheng—as well as intern coordinator Jon Marchione and members of the EDS class.
Events for Workin' the Tease included:
- Workin’ the Tease: Fundraiser was held at Area 405 gallery in Station North on Saturday, March 1, from 7 to 10 pm. More than 150 people attended a fundraising event featuring a sneak preview of the Lyric Opera House program—including live Burlesque and musical performances from Mourna Handful, Hot and Bothered, Sunny Sighed, Tapitha Kix, and Short Staxx; food prepared by the class; and auctions of original artworks and donations from Sugar the Shop. The event ultimately raised nearly $1800 for the EDS exhibition and was featured in a photo essay in the Baltimore City Paper.
- Hair and Burlesque Panel and Workshop. On Friday, March 7, from 6 to 8 pm, in the Lazarus Center Auditorium, Beehive Hair Salon owner Aishia Bee and makeup artist Audrey McLaughlin discussed and demonstrated functional and theatrical hair and makeup techniques with Burlesque performers Doctor Ginger Snapz, Dolly Longlegs, Maria Bella, and Tapitha Kix for an audience of more than 50 people.
- A Taste of Burlesque with the Pros. On Saturday, March 9, from 4 to 6 pm, at the MICA fitness Center, students partnered with the MICA Burlesque Troupe and performers Kay Sera, Dolly Longlegs, and Doctor Ginger Snapz to present a workshop in which a dozen participants learned about costume fabrication, dance, narrative, and character development.
- Baltimore Undresses Burlesque was a panel discussion held in Falvey Hall on April 17, 2014, from 4 to 6 pm. Baltimore Post-Examiner writer Tony Hayes moderated a discussion between NYU Burlesque scholar Dr. Lucky and performers Dolly Longlegs, Gigi Holliday, Kay Sera, and Maria Bella. Panelists considered the history of Burlesque and its relationship to feminism, race, gender, and identity for an audience of more than 65 people.
- Workin’ the Tease: Best of Baltimore Night of Burlesque was a curated revue of contemporary Burlesque performers in Baltimore. Hosted by Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, this two hour performance on April 22, 2014, from 7 to 9 pm, featured 15 performers total and also served as the opening for the Workin’ the Tease exhibition. An audience of more than 1000 people filled the lower level of the Modell Lyric Opera House for a show that payed homage to the Golden Age of Burlesque on Baltimore’s Block and introduced audiences to elements of neo-Burlesque—including contemporary boylesque, boolesque, and queerlesque subgenres.
- Globe Poster Collection: A New Perspective on Baltimore Burlesque. On Sunday, April 27, EDS and Globe Poster Collection partners Allison Fisher and Mary Mashburn invited ten participants to learn about Baltimore printing history and design and print their own letterpress posters in MICA’s own Dolphin Building.
The Class: Bree Berry, Leslie Chung, Sarah Dodd, Niamh Doherty, Ajoa Donkor, Soumya Dhulekar, Tyler Farinholt, Molly Gamble, Jolie Kumin, Kymberli Janine, Gray Lamb, Arum Lee, Lindsey Mack, Tori Munoz, Abbey Parrish, Sophia Pendleton, Catherine Reckelhoff, Alexander Reynolds, Taylor Shuck, Xiaotian Yang, Gloria You
Professor: Jeffry Cudlin
Graduate Teaching Intern: Caitlin Tucker-Melvin
Advisors and Guests: Kate Barutha, Kriston Capps, George Ciscle, Marcus Civin, Jeremy Hoffmann, Doctor Lucky, Sandylee Triolo, Shannon Windsor
Professor: Jeffry Cudlin
Graduate Teaching Intern: Caitlin Tucker-Melvin
Advisors and Guests: Kate Barutha, Kriston Capps, George Ciscle, Marcus Civin, Jeremy Hoffmann, Doctor Lucky, Sandylee Triolo, Shannon Windsor